IRS audits increase for high-income taxpayers

[Zomby Woof]

WASHINGTON -- The IRS increased its audits of individuals and couples making more than $100,000 last year, but even high-income taxpayers faced low odds of being called upon to document their expenses and deductions.
Audits of taxpayers who earned $100,000 or more increased 24 percent between 2002 and 2003 as the IRS searched for unpaid taxes. Most of the increased activity centered on individuals or couples earning $250,000 or more.

Despite the stepped-up effort, the IRS audited only one in 95 tax returns filed by high-income taxpayers.

"If you look at overall audit rates, they're still too low," IRS Commissioner Mark Everson said Thursday, adding that the statistics nevertheless show the agency arrested the decline that began in 1998, when Congress ordered the IRS to shift its focus from enforcement to taxpayer service.

Link: http://www.azdailysun.com/non_sec/nav_includes/story.cfm?storyID=83602

[salin]

1. Saw a chart within the last couple of days... the real group with low

audit rates: corporations.

[underpants]

2. Wow what a great idea go after those withthe most to hide

and the means to do it. Picking on people filing EIC(Earned Income Credits) who don't have any means to fight charges was complete BS under the illusion of a "more user friendly IRS.